Personal trainer expectations?

Ldiennor

What do you expect from your personal trainer? Do you simply pay them 400 a month so they spend a hour with you a week training and tell you what percentages your macros should be with out ever looking at your food diary? I truly don’t know if the are supposed be more involved in nutrition, motivation, teaching (all of which was said before I signed on). Want to level set expectations. Thanks.

LyndaBSS

Before I hired one, I would have a consultation and see if they're offering what I need at that step of my journey.

quiksylver296

Depending on where you are from, PTs may not be allowed to go into nutrition.

My PT is my powerlifting coach. I expect him to create my lifting programs, tweak my lifting technique, identify areas that are holding me back and correcting them. He gives me targets for my calories and macros, but nothing more in depth than that.

Cahgetsfit

Depends what you want.

My first coach/PT when I started out provided me with nutrition plan (plus education around the food, not just "shut up and eat this and don't ask me questions just do it") as well as an exercise plan. We also had 1:1 sessions for check ins and for her to show me how to do the stuff on the plan. So at first I saw her more often, and then it moved to around every 4-6 weeks for check ins and new exercise plan, then we'd have 1:1 for me to learn any new exercises. She was always available online though even when I didn't see her physically and she made sure I knew enough to go off on my own following her plan. She was awesome. Really hands on with the training and making sure I knew what muscles to activate and so on and so forth - not just standing there saying "5 more - 5 4 3 2 1 good job". She was expensive, but worth every penny.

I had a bodybuilding comp prep coach after that. She sucked. She just gave me a meal plan and said shut up and eat it and don't ask me any questions. No discussion whatsoever about foods that were making me bloated and so on, no room to swap out foods, nothing - it was just "do what I say". By that stage I already had enough of the basics of nutrition to know that I could have been swapping things out and the whole CICO thing and all that. She did not provide any workout advice and when I did purchase a plan off her, it was mediocre at best.

After that I had an IFFYM coach (to reverse diet me and work on my mental health after the traumatic experience with the prep coach). She was great too, there was a facebook group for support and all sorts of things. She gave me my macros and we had check ins once a week.

I also have used a PT purely for training purposes - I go to the gym, tell her what I need to work on, she kills me and gives me a bunch of knowledge and good exercises for particular goals. She has been instrumental in developing my lagging body parts. I don't use her for food/macros.

I also had another IFFYM coach who gave me both macros and workouts. And education too. Always open to explain things and so on. Weekly check-ins. Worked with me based on what I wanted - as in - what my goals were.

The key is to find someone who will not just tell you what to do, but to explain to you WHY you are doing it and HOW to do it properly.

I see PTs at the gym where I work out, and to be completely honest - they all suck. They don't even touch their clients they just stand there and kind of demonstrate the movement then get the person to do it and count the reps. And once I heard one of them giving random 'nutrition' advice of the generic "don't eat carbs after 2pm" kind.... so much eyeroll from me on that day. Not to mention that she does the exact same workout for all of her clients...

Cahgetsfit

Oh, but by the way - the ones who ARE involved in nutrition and looking at diaries and all that jazz - they cost a lot more than the ones you hire at the gym.

Cherimoose

Ldiennor wrote: »

I truly don’t know if the are supposed be more involved in nutrition, motivation, teaching (all of which was said before I signed on).

Trainers can do any or all of those, depending on their qualifications. Decide why YOU want a trainer, and find one who can do what you want. Make sure to communicate what you'd like to get from the sessions.
Most trainers don't have nutrition credentials, so take any nutrition advice with skepticism. Then again, if your main goal is weight loss, you can do that all by yourself with a food scale and MFP. Fat loss isn't rocket surgery. But if you need a nutrition plan, consider hiring a registered dietician.
If learning how to lift is important, choose one with a good trainer certification, like NASM or NSCA, and preferably a year or two of training experience. Don't assume they're knowledgeable by their physique.

gottswald

Find someone who you have a rapport with. If you are already questioning your choice that's probably a good instinct.

NGentRD

Be careful when getting nutrition advice from a PT, make sure they are certified. Almost every PT is different. Depends what you want. Some people need compassion some people need a good kick in the butt or wake up call. Accountability is the major look out. Having a PT that’s in it for you. Also look for ones that admit to not knowing stuff. They are most likely honest and will do the research to help you out.

MT1134

Depends what you're looking for.

**This is speaking from my perspective and experience of when I first started training clients at a big chain gym and what I've learned since leaving there. Take my advice with a grain of salt. This doesn't apply to everyone everywhere.

1)Trainers at the chain gyms can be good but often fall short for a few reasons.
1) They are generally new to training and that's where they are getting their start so they are still reciting what they've learned from a book and not real world experience. If the gym treats them well and they are happy they don't always see the point in gaining more knowledge because they're doing so well as it is.
2)They usually have their hands tied by the gym so they have rules and limitations of what they can offer.
3)They only get paid for the time they are training so it's not likely that they will go the extra mile for you since they only get a tiny portion of what you're actually paying the gym for the service.
4)Each trainer has a different style, philosophy, and qualifications. some offer more Olympic lifting based while others may offer more of a powerlifting base or bodybuilding style.
5)Don't really specialize in anything because they are forced to train whoever the gym puts in front of them.
*I started out at a chain gym over a decade ago and absolutely hated it. being new and lacking experience and what people actually needed versus what was being fed to me through a book didn't really add up. I have no support at the gym from anyone above me as all the trainers were on their own all trying to make their dollar and didn't really want to provide guidance to any of the younger people. We worked in half hour sessions being paid $6 per session.

Private/Independent Trainers:
1)Have more freedom to do as they please.
2)Generally come with a higher price tag.
3)Usually have more experience in learning from their humble beginning at a chain gym, giving them the opportunity to be more effective for you now.
4)They are usually more willing to go find you help because they know their business counts on it.

*Some trainers are more drill instructor types and run boot camp style training and others are silent and prefer 1 to 1.

*I think it's important to look at what you need now to have what you want later and then spell that out. Ask questions and hold them accountable to holding you accountable.

*Ask other people about your trainer and what they know. Read reviews and do your research however you can.

*Get templates or examples of how they conduct business, training and nutrition or whatever they offer that you're interested in. Don't just take them at face value with some lip service. Find out exactly how they intend to help you get there.

*I say all that just to give perspective on what youmay have thought you were getting versus what they are actually willing and able to give.

*Unfortunately what you're describing with your experiences is generally how it is for so many people. A lot of trainers have very little knowledge outside of sets and reps and therefore they say they offer the things that they don't necessarily know much about but considering they know a hair more than you do, that's good enough for them to offer you a service and then ask you to pay more money.

bigdaddylovesbabymomma

I no longer coach anyone but my wife now. We sat down and determined what her short and long terms goals are. Set timelines for them. I set her routine and explained every exercise and showed her proper form in EVERY Movement. We focus on perfect form while we achieve total muscle failure... then we do 5 more....then 5 more. The goal is to pump as much blood into the muscle group we are doing. We don't isolate single muscles. I do rubdowns with frozen bottles between sets to break up lactic acid buildup and cramps. Plenty of water and encouragement. We cool down with a 100 cal burn on the elliptical. At home I do portion control. Protein shakes post gym. She is a Diabetic so that also adds another hardship. We keep her BGL around 110 with just Metformin. A good PT will at least give you an idea of a proper diet based on your goals. They should also be proficient in proper body mechanics and know how to focus on certain areas you are weak in and come up with innovative ways to motivate you and set realistic goals you can achieve.

MikePTY

PTs should not be providing you with nutrition advice. They are supposed to be providing you with fitness instruction. That is a lot of money to spend on a PT and they should be very involved in developing a good fitness plan for you and in instructing on form, pace, etc.

If they are not you may want to move on, as quality of trainers vary widely.

cwolfman13

Ldiennor wrote: »

What do you expect from your personal trainer? Do you simply pay them 400 a month so they spend a hour with you a week training and tell you what percentages your macros should be with out ever looking at your food diary? I truly don’t know if the are supposed be more involved in nutrition, motivation, teaching (all of which was said before I signed on). Want to level set expectations. Thanks.

Depending on where you live, it may be against the law for your trainer to delve much into nutrition...and to that end, many PTs aren't particularly well versed in nutrition as that is not the focal point of their training to become a PT. The focal point of training to be a PT is exercise.

As far as expectations, it really comes down to your goals. I started working with a trainer when I wanted to really see some advances in my fitness and I wanted to get back into olympic weight lifting...didn't have anything to do with diet or losing weight or anything like that.

In my experience (I've had a few trainers) those trainers who rent out space or have their own space and own clients are typically better trainers as they are running their own business. Those trainers who are employed by a box gym are usually newer to the business and gaining experience so they may not be quite as good, but it depends.

cheryldumais

Just a word to the wise get your expectations and their promises in writing. I paid in advance and then found we somehow did not communicate as well as I had thought. Cost me $500 for nothing. That was my entire budget for training so now I am back to learning from online videos and books.

Chieflrg

MT1134 wrote: »

Depends what you're looking for.

**This is speaking from my perspective and experience of when I first started training clients at a big chain gym and what I've learned since leaving there. Take my advice with a grain of salt. This doesn't apply to everyone everywhere.

1)Trainers at the chain gyms can be good but often fall short for a few reasons.
1) They are generally new to training and that's where they are getting their start so they are still reciting what they've learned from a book and not real world experience. If the gym treats them well and they are happy they don't always see the point in gaining more knowledge because they're doing so well as it is.
2)They usually have their hands tied by the gym so they have rules and limitations of what they can offer.
3)They only get paid for the time they are training so it's not likely that they will go the extra mile for you since they only get a tiny portion of what you're actually paying the gym for the service.
4)Each trainer has a different style, philosophy, and qualifications. some offer more Olympic lifting based while others may offer more of a powerlifting base or bodybuilding style.
5)Don't really specialize in anything because they are forced to train whoever the gym puts in front of them.
*I started out at a chain gym over a decade ago and absolutely hated it. being new and lacking experience and what people actually needed versus what was being fed to me through a book didn't really add up. I have no support at the gym from anyone above me as all the trainers were on their own all trying to make their dollar and didn't really want to provide guidance to any of the younger people. We worked in half hour sessions being paid $6 per session.

Private/Independent Trainers:
1)Have more freedom to do as they please.
2)Generally come with a higher price tag.
3)Usually have more experience in learning from their humble beginning at a chain gym, giving them the opportunity to be more effective for you now.
4)They are usually more willing to go find you help because they know their business counts on it.

*Some trainers are more drill instructor types and run boot camp style training and others are silent and prefer 1 to 1.

*I think it's important to look at what you need now to have what you want later and then spell that out. Ask questions and hold them accountable to holding you accountable.

*Ask other people about your trainer and what they know. Read reviews and do your research however you can.

*Get templates or examples of how they conduct business, training and nutrition or whatever they offer that you're interested in. Don't just take them at face value with some lip service. Find out exactly how they intend to help you get there.

*I say all that just to give perspective on what youmay have thought you were getting versus what they are actually willing and able to give.

*Unfortunately what you're describing with your experiences is generally how it is for so many people. A lot of trainers have very little knowledge outside of sets and reps and therefore they say they offer the things that they don't necessarily know much about but considering they know a hair more than you do, that's good enough for them to offer you a service and then ask you to pay more money.

Co-sign this.

Commercial trainers
1. A cert can get you a job in a commercial gym which is it's value. In my opinion the info to acquire a cert is pure garbage. A trainer with proven track record & experience at your goal would be my recommendation.
2. Hands are tied and honestly the commercial gym almost always insisting that the customer learn anything from the experience other than "I got tired and that must mean it works. Yes I'll buy more sessions!". We know one doesn't need to feel "destroyed" to accomplish a goal.
3. Given.
4 & 5. These is can be very problematic. For example. I've seen trainers push to use a trap bar stating its the only "safe" way to deaflift. In other words, "I don't know how to teach it because the book never showed me.". I've experienced a commercial trainer trying to "show their knowledge" and attempt to stop me from squatting to explain I was doing it all wrong not to know what a low bar squat was or that I hold powerlifting records for squatting.

Private trainers
1. Given
2. Higher price but generally a better service. There are many good trainers at different price ranges. Usually the lower ones are just trying to build a cliental when the higher ones have well established business and are charging within reason to their demand.
3. Humble is debatable for any trainer but is very desirable quality. Probably one of the biggest changes any trainer will admit once they learned we aren't perfect and don't know all the answers. An experienced one will be able to screen out a better avenue to persue.


The bolded advice is extremely useful if you wish to use a coach/trainer to help you towards your goal.

Well said.